Why choose cloth?

Modern nappies have come alone way since the days of soaking, folding and pinning, here are just 5 reasons to choose cloth nappies...

Modern cloth nappies are very different from the image most people have, now they come in a variety of styles, most are shaped to fit and fasten with poppers or Velcro. Even terry nappies now are easier to fasten with a nappi nippa, a plastic grip which hold the terry in place. The nappies are now covered in a water proof, breathable wrap, which fastens with poppers or Velcro, a big improvement on the old style plastic pants. With modern nappies there is no need to boil wash or soak, or you could choose to use a nappy laundry service who would deliver clean nappies and take away the used ones.

The cost of using disposable nappies, depending on the brand or type you use, will average out at approximately £1200 (based on using disposables until 2.5 years). If you chose to use cloth nappies the average spend from birth to potty, including laundry cost is approximately £400, this is an amazing saving of £800! And the even better news is that this saving can be doubled when you use the nappies on a second or third child. And of course, after you have finished using the nappies, you can sell them on, to recoup some of the cost.

Did you know that for every £1 spent on disposables the tax payer pays 10p to dispose of them, that adds up to a huge £40 million a year! Just image what could be done with that money if everyone changed to cloth nappies!

Cloth nappies are very comfortable for your baby, they are also used with a stay dry inner layer and a breathable outer, to keep your baby dry. With a good cloth nappy you should have no or very few leaks (in fact I have found I have less leaks with cloth then disposables) shaped nappies and wraps have elastic waists and legs, to give protection from leaks. If you have a “heavy wetter” you can use a booster, which is an extra layer inside your nappy to absorb more than just the nappy would. Some people believe that using cloth nappies increases the risk of nappy rash, but independent research conducted at the University of Bristol has found that the type of nappy worn is not a significant factor in causing nappy rash. (Philipp R, et al, "Getting to the bottom of nappy rash", British Journal of General Practice, 47: 493-497, August 1997. Read abstract in Pubmed.)

Approximately 8 million disposable nappies are used in the UK everyday, this means that 7.5 million end up in landfill sites, to date no-one know how long the plastic layer takes to break down, but we do know it isn't biodegradable, some experts have estimated that it may take up to 300 years, just think if this is the case, and if disposables were used 300 years ago, we would be living on King George II dirty nappies! - not a nice thought!

Ecological footprinting (an experimental method of measuring the overall environmental impact of activities) shows that disposables are over two and a half times worse for the environment than service-laundered nappies, and nearly twice as bad as home-laundered nappies.

Did you know that one baby's disposable nappy waste in one year will fill 40 bin-bags.

There are so many designs of nappies available now. If you want bright, funky patterns or unbleached organic white cotton, there is something to suit every budget, taste and lifestyle.

Some nappy brands offer limited edition prints, and some even have your childs favourite characters printed on, excellent for toddlers!

As early as 2002 cloth nappies featured in the Telegraph's fashion section (look at the Telegraph article for some truly delightful photos of cloth-nappied babies).

As Maggie Alderston said in an article in The Times: "in the 21st century, cloth nappies are cool"